Having stepped into this Denon from a high-end Marantz, I can definitely say that the construction and materials are not the same quality as the Marantz. The front looks more plasticky than a solid metal plate. However, I've always wanted a Denon and the unit itself is still quite heavy, with solid transistors and great sound quality. The 4 HDMI inputs are also strong, and will protect me in the future. The video upconversion is great, and I noticed an immediate quality difference when playing my XBox 360 which is component cables (not HDMI). Highly recommend this unit!